Author's Notes: This is something that's
special only for my
list. Another part of the "Everyone Says I
Love You" arc that will only be available through the list, or
anyone who wants to archive it. No OTL. Just you guys.
But it is archivable =D

**Standard Mice Disclaimer**
Mice is in no way associated with the Marvel Comics Group. She is
merely trying to write a story and this is all she has to show for
it. A noble effort. Though she would one day like to be paid for writing,
please don't send her any money (send mail to urmonkeyifudo@yeahright.com
on instructions to send her money). Bobby Drake, Jubilee, Paige Guthrie,
and Hank McCoy do not belong to her, but to the Marvel Comics Group.
Annie Peckenpaugh and Harpo Lubbock are of her own mind. Any archiving
of this story that is unaware of her attention will be ily received
(Read: Tiki Curse). If you e-mail her, explain your intentions to
archive the story and address of your archive, she will be MORE than
gracious and will probably do something nice for you, like bake you
brownies, not to mention permission to archive the story. In truth,
she just wants to know where she can drool over the sight with her
name. *G* If you want to e-mail her comments (read: FEEDBACK), do
it at mice5k@hotmail.com.
Good or bad, youíll still probably get some brownies out of the deal,
but itís not really that great of a reward because she canít cook
... but she can make pina coladas. She's still working on the "rain"
part, though...

Chapter One

"I hope for the sake of your black ass that this is just a power
outage, Gary," Holland Bass shouted from across her newest home.

"Holl, you had the bill."

"No, I specifically remember giving it to you."

"No, you specifically remember almost giving it to me, but deciding
at the last moment that I would be unable to pay the bill, regardless
of the fact that I have been living on my own and paying my own bills
for quite some time now, and took it into your own hands and purse."

Holland stumbled around in the dark to find something to provide
light, finding only Gilberto's talking Steve doll and accidentally
activating it. "How did you get so smart?"

"Damn it, Gary, don't you have a fuckin' flashlight or something?"

Holland heard a sigh in the darkness. "Holland, are you aware that
your son is standing right next to me?"

"I thought Gilberto was in his room..."

"Well, it's either Bert or we have some really fuzzy mold in this
place..."

"His name is Gilberto. I'd thank you kindly to call him that," Holland
said before continuing on to grind her teeth. "And he's a smart kid,
Gary, he knows that my language is inappropriate. The kid speaks better
than me, y'know ... at least, when he speaks, that is..."

"I don't want to criticize you, Holland, but it's just something
that's really rude ... and I think I left a flashlight around here
behind the couch ... a ha!" Gary's hands clasped around a spherical
object and flipped the switch.

"Gary, either that light is run by a thousand angry hornets or you
just found something of mine because I'm seein' NO light."

"Actually, I think it was your brother's..."

You really must understand a bit about Jack Churchill before we go
any further. Jack was not like most kids when he was one. Jack didn't
spend his youth playing sports or watching television. As a kid, Jack
had one passion and that passion was for performing. More specifically,
radio. His parents bought him cassette tapes of old radio shows and
several books on the subject, all of which he devoured while other
kids spent their time reading comic books. By age twelve, Jack Churchill
was quite an expert on old radio programs.

"Read 'em and weep, girls."

"We're playing hearts, Hannah."

"No thanks to you."

"Only because you cheat."

"I can't help it if I'm psychic, Marie."

"You are NOT psychic."

"I can't help it if you're the opposite of smart. Marie."

"Will you two just stop? You're giving me a headache..." Jack began
to shuffle the deck of cards to begin the game again.

"Sorry, Cookie."

"Sorry ... uh ... you."

"He has a name, Marie."

"You don't call him it!"

"I am not bound by rules."

"Gin!"

"We're playing hearts, Chlora--"

"Never mind her, Cookie, she isn't playing with a full deck. Heck,
she isn't even playing with a deck. She hasn't been right since Richard
passed on."

Jack began to deal the cards to the three elderly ladies. It had
been a week since he had met Hannah Bass at the beach. He had lived
in California for only about a year and was currently trying to get
his mind off of his roommate troubles, so he took a bus out to Santa
Monica to walk on the beach. While he was wading in the surf, a tide
came up and drenched his clothes. With only thirty-five cents and
a soggy bus transfer in his pocket, Jack turned and began to walk
away, wondering if his family would wire him some money to return
home when he saw Hannah Bass.

So you have to understand that coming face to soaking wet face with
one half of one of the most prominent acts in radio history was quite
exciting and extraordinary for Jack. It's much like discovering that
the face of Elvis is on the tortilla of your taco.

The fact that during hours they spent chatting and talking, Hannah
Bass re-clothed him, fed him, and invited him to live with her ...
it just didn't compare.

"Cookie, do you think you could go answer the phone?"

"Hannah, the phone isn't--"

Ring.

"You're still not psychic, Hannah."

Jack stopped abruptly by the ringing phone and looked at Hannah.
"What if it's Jacqueline, Nan?"

Hannah shook her head. One of the few conditions Hannah set for Jack
was that her granddaughter wouldn't find out that he was living there
until Hannah was sure that she'd be at her most furious. "Shouldn't
be. She should be taking Bert over to daycare."

Jack nodded and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Who the fuck are you?"

Jack covered the receiver and looked at Hannah. "I hate to tell you
this, Nan, but you're wrong..."

Jacob noticed that simple included cashmere wall paper. "This is
where you've been all these years?"

"Well, off and on ... Ah've been all over."

Jacob nodded and knew immediately that she had only been to Paris.
Hollis Lubbock-Bass's idea of "all over" included her hometown of
Lubbock and Paris. And maybe Coeur d'Alene in northern Idaho. He smiled
slightly at the thought of his wife speaking French. She spoke it
quite fluently, but the French had probably kicked her out because
she spoke it slowly and with a horrendous twang.

Not like Julia.

Julia worked that language like a harp. Each "vous" and "aussi" resonating
in the air. The same with the way she spoke Spanish. And Italian.
And Russian. "How's Julia?"

"She's just fine," Hollis smiled. "Would you like ta talk to her?"

Jacob shook his head. "She wouldn't remember me, Hollis."

Hollis shook her head. "No, Ah told her you were comin' and she seemed
quite anxious ta talk to ya."

A nervous smile formed on Jacob's lips. "Really?"

"She was quite insistent that we all go to lunch together, actually."

"She really remembers me?" Jacob sighed.

"You still have a crush on her, don't you?" Hollis giggled. "Jake,
why you never molested her while we were married, Ah'll never know..."

"Well, we were married..."

"Ah know that, but ... well ... you know..." Hollis shrugged with
a grin. "You mighta been a happier man, Jake."

It was Jacob's turn to shrug. "Guess we'll never know."

"...and then it just didn't get fucking paid, Nana, and now, we have
no electricity, and I can't find Gilberto in the fucking dark or Gary
for that fucking matter, and it's daylight for fuck's sake!" Holland
shouted. "And who the fucking hell is Jack? Are you two sleeping together?
Oh, shit, you two are sleeping together..." Holland moaned as she
looked for a place to sit. "I'm going to be sick."

Marie scowled in distaste as she looked at her friend's granddaughter.
"Hannah, why didn't you teach this young lady how to talk properly?"

"It was her mother's doing," was the only thing Hannah offered, and
for a brief second, her hard facade faded. When the second was over,
she snapped back. "And who or what Jack and I are is none of your
concern. All you need to know is that we're friends and he's going
to be living with me for some time. I do not need your permission,
Jacqueline." Nan took a sip of her ice tea before going any further.
"Now, tell me, Jacqueline, what do you need from me?"

"I need you to talk to the electric company and get my electricity
turned back on."

Hannah looked at her grandchild and understood. "Cookie, my phone..."

Jacob Bass fumbled with his pockets as his wife waved to her sister
at the Head Hunter's Steakhouse. Jacob looked around the place with
an uncomfortable familiarity. The Head Hunter's Steakhouse was owned
by the Lubbock family and was named after the first Lubbock in Texas.
He asked his father-in-law, Hume, during their first meeting here
if the first Lubbock's name was Hunter or Head and was regarded to
an icy silence that hadn't thawed a bit over the years.

There were a lot of firsts that happened for Jacob in the steakhouse...

"Julia, you remember Jake."

"Of course I remember Jacob, Hollis," Julia said with an intelligent
purr. Jacob couldn't help but smile at that sound that no other woman
could ever produce. She went over to him to give him a hug. "How are
you, Cob?"

Jacob, in a moment of shyness and awe, held out his hand for her
to shake instead. "The same."

They were both interrupted by the hum of Hollis's cell phone. "Ah
have ta take this call, it's Daddy..."

Julia and Jacob watched as she went away. "Quite morbid, don't you
think, Cob?"

"What was that?"

Julia smiled. "The fact that after all these years, she refuses to
let go of her pageant title."

Jacob thought for a moment and remembered his wife's talent in the
pageant; a fire baton twirling act to the tune of St. Louis Blues.
"Oh, the cell phone ring ... I remember..." Jacob cleared his throat,
trying to appear calm and confident. "I remember."

"That's good, Cob. That's perfect, in fact." Julia took a drink of
water before she went on. "Ah need to talk to you about Harper."

"How is Harpo?" Jacob smiled at the thought of his other nephew.
"He's, what, eighteen now?"

Julia nodded. "Good memory. He's going to a private school in New
England, now."

Jacob smiled. "Bobby -- my other nephew -- lives in New England,
too. Have they met?"

Julia shook her head. "Maybe they can arrange something sometime
soon. When was the last time you saw Harper?"

"Gosh ... it'd have to be the last time I saw you..." Jacob blushed
as he tried to defer the knowledge that he knew damn well right then
the last time he saw Julia Lubbock. He knew the date, time, and weather
conditions. "About sixteen years ago? You were visiting in Seattle
and we bumped into each other."

Julia smiled and opened her mouth up to say something when Hollis
returned to the table. "Sorry, all. Daddy heard you were in town,
Jake, and wants us all to have dinner tonight. Tell me you can make
can it, Julia."

Julia nodded. "Of course Ah can, Hollis. Ah'm going to be in town
for a while."

"Good, because Daddy said he flew in Harpo and Ah haven't seen that
boy in ages! He's, what, ten now?"

"Eighteen, Holl."

"Are you sure, Jake?"

Julia cleared her throat. "Harper is here now? What about
school? He can't miss school--"

"They're on a break and he hasn't seen his mother in a while, and
Daddy thought it'd be a nice gesture."

"Yes, Hollis. Eighteen-year-old boys often miss their mothers only
after a few weeks away from their mothers."

"Well, the way you mother that boy, Ah'm surprised he still isn't
fastened to your breast."

"And they way you mothered Holland and Heathcliff, AH'M surprised
that they hadn't put a contract on your life by the time they learned
how to use the phone."

Jacob sat and twiddled his thumbs.

"...I'm sorry about all this, too, Claudia. I know you had better
things to do than this ... yes, I'm still coming to your backyard
barbeque next weekend. I'm sure I can whip something up that will
compliment your cooking. You take good care of yourself, Claudia,
and that husband of yours. Take care, sweetie." Nan hung up the phone.
"Your electricity will be back on within the hour, Jacqueline. Is
there anything else?"

"How do you know Claudia?"

"I just talked to her."

"Yes, but how did you meet her before?"

Nan shrugged. "I just met her, Jacqueline. Well, technically, I'll
meet her this weekend." Nan turned to Jack and smiled. "Are you up
to some barbeque this weekend, Cookie?"

"Cookie, take Marie and Chlora into the kitchen for some more iced
tea, if you would," Nan decreed.

Jack nodded as Marie began to grin as they moved to the inside of
the house.

Once alone, Holland slumped herself into one of the chairs. "I'm
just--"

"Quiet, Holland."

Holland blinked. "What did you--"

"I said quiet." Nan took in a deep breath and stared at her only
granddaughter. "Holland, you are a beautiful, bright, and extremely
talented girl and I love you very much, but I'm afraid that I can't
see you anymore. You may speak now."

"Nana, what do you mean?"

"What I mean, Holland, is that I cannot stand any further to watch
you dig yourself into all of these holes that you cannot get yourself
out of. I love you and I always will, but until you learn some patience
and kindness and get some sort of direction in your life, I refuse
to help contribute to your laziness and be the source of your misery."

"But you always give me a hard time--"

"And you never thought there was a reason? Did you think I hated
you?"

"Well, yes..."

Nan shook her head. "No, Holland, no. I've always worried about you
the most. If I could have, I would have adopted you on the spot after
your mother up and left and raised you like my own daughter. I regret
that I didn't get to you until later."

"Because of Bobby," Holland said, finally acknowledging her old resentment.
"What was so special about Bobby that you were there for him, but
not for me and Cliff?"

"There are things you don't know, Holland, about your mother that
you don't know."

"I know her and Drake fucked and Bobby saw it. Is that all it takes
to get to your good side?"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore, Holland. I've tried the
best I know how to make you into a woman, but you are still this girl
who needs rescuing and is angry at anyone who comes along and tries
to help."

"I am not!!" Holland's voice began to crack as her eyes watered up.

"Lower your voice, Holland."

"Stop calling me that! That's not what you call me!"

"It is now, I'm afraid." Nan bowed her head. "I hope to see you sometime
soon in the future, Holland."